Patience
by Iliya Moroumetz
Summary: Zelda and Link, amist a drought and during merciless summer night, find the company of each other is the only thing that can help keep their patience and sanity...


"Patience"  
  
Night had brought no relief from the Hylian summer's sweltering heat. Unlike the previous year, which brought rains and fertile fields, temperatures were at an all-time high and everything living baked under the cloudless sunshine. Even the river's supply ran so low that the castle moat was draining. Hylians looked to the sky for rain but none came, and patience waned.  
  
It was a trying time for the pair who rested silently in a clearing beside the castle, watching the sky silently. The castle, unbearably hot in such weather, brought no relief at the end of the hectic day for Zelda, Queen of Hyrule, or Link, the Hero of Time, so the chance to spend some silent time out of doors was precious indeed.  
  
"I am exhausted!" Zelda sighed. "And nothing short of an earthquake can move me from here."  
  
Zelda's head rested comfortably in her friend's lap as she watched the stars. Link's own gaze was distracted and moved to her face as she adjusted her head lightly. He tensed as she moved, noting the numbness that had crept into his legs, but he did not mind. She had worked so devotedly for so long that he felt his own discomfort less important than her need for recuperation.  
  
He was rather busy, himself; as Hyrule's diplomatic envoy to the rest of the world, he often found himself worn down as well. Yet he felt that whatever his duties entailed, they paled in comparison to the endless discussions, futile negotiations, and drawn-out hearings she sat through daily. Though the people heralded him as the hero, he felt the honor should have belonged to her. It took all of her faculties to assist in the unification of several large countries into a single state.  
  
Zelda, noticing his attention, smiled a bit and asked, "You seem like you've got something on your mind."  
  
Snapping back to the present, he shook his head and brushed sweat-soaked strands of hair from her forehead. "No. After all those talks you've been through today, I would think you'd want to enjoy silence for a while."  
  
"They were nothing more than political rhetoric. I was more focused on fanning myself than with what was being said."  
  
"Still, I would think silence would be precious to you."  
  
Zelda smiled up at him. "You don't talk much and you listen more than most. That's one of the reasons I enjoy your company. When you do talk, it's simple; not filled with shallow words. I appreciate it."  
  
A simple "thank you" was all he could say to that.  
  
"Even after all these years, when horrible events make people turn away from virtue, you've remained stalwart to what is right," she continued.   
  
"I'm just an old stick in the mud," Link chuckled, his grin growing wider as he looked away.  
  
She maintained her face while suppressing a chuckle. "It is true, though."  
  
Absentmindedly he played with a damp strand of her hair as he considered her words.  
  
"To be honest, highness, I don't understand why people think me so special. I'm only doing my job, no different from any other Hylian."  
  
Zelda nodded. "Well, maybe that is special in itself...an expression that that anyone from monarch to mecadant has the capacity to save a kingdom from a tyrant."  
  
Link raised an eyebrow. "The Triforce of Wisdom tells you stuff like this?"  
  
"I actually came up with that one myself," she slyly grinned. "Though the Triforce is a part of me and has helped me through a lot, it only seems to work when it's really needed. Such as working through the talks, for example."  
  
"It is true punishment, indeed," he said teasingly, "to sit and talk with people all the time."  
  
Zelda pouted. "You try and unify nations! It's near impossible, and for all I know, it may not last forever." Peeling damp hair off her neck, she twisted it together and allowed it to trail off to the side. "But at the least, I hope it'll last long for the people's sake...."  
  
Link brushed through her hair and smiled softly. "...and your name will be forever remembered in the books for it."  
  
"Whether the written word remembers us favorably or not is unimportant. History will vindicate those who've toiled and condemn the oppressors, or so my father used to say."  
  
Link faked an emotionally hurt face. "Your father also used to say that I was a grimy little wild boy," he teased, leaning over and placing his face closer to hers, "and you see how I've turned out."  
  
With a victorious smirk, she pushed his face away. "I see all too well."  
  
She loved their little verbal exchanges, the product of two quickwitted minds. She usually found herself the victor, but occasionally he would surprise her with a move that she did not anticipate. Thankfully, this was not one of those times.  
  
"More of your political maneuvering, highness?"  
  
Zelda chuckled. "Of course. How else was I to manipulate the Hero of Time into being my cushion on this sweltering summer night?"  
  
"All you had to do was ask," he smirked.  
  
"I know, but it's infinitely more fun my way."  
  
Zelda shifted her position again, and Link was unable to repress the cringe that spread across his face. "Your head is awfully heavy, highness. What do you keep up there?"  
  
Zelda snorted, then pointed to the sun-gold strands. "My hair. Why don't you braid it for me?"  
  
He shrugged and gently combed through her mane of hair, then arranged it into three separate handfuls. As was to be expected, Zelda kept her hair in immaculate condition. Even though it was damp from sweat, he felt the strands were silken. He knew he would not do them credit with his laughably clumsy attempts to plait it. Strand after strand was crossed, and though it seemed that he had the sequence right at first, the horrid pattern that developed made him uneasy. Zelda watched him curiously from her upside-down vantage point and wiped a sweatdrop off his cheek.  
  
"Something wrong?"  
  
He wanted to shake his head and tell her no, but could not. The look on her face said she already knew.  
  
"Don't you know how to braid?"  
  
This time, however, he could shake his head freely and say, "Not well enough."   
  
"Here, let me show you." She reached up and guided his hands, moving the strands over and under each other to try and correct the pattern. Link had always felt he was a quick study, but doing such tedious and fine work felt as awkward as knitting or sewing to his hands, which were more used to swinging a sword or drawing a bow.  
  
Within minutes the braid had only gotten worse and both of their hands had gotten tangled in the process. Sighing, Zelda sat up to investigate what had become of her hair.   
  
Link wanted to apologize, but he could not see what good it would do.  
  
"Don't worry about it!" she exclaimed, picking up on his guilt. "It's only hair." She started to untangle the braid, but then stopped. "Say, you have a knife on you?"  
  
Nodding, Link reached into the back of his belt and was about to give it to her when he realized what she was alluding to.  
  
"You're not serious...."  
  
She took the blade from his hand and nodded.  
  
"Quite serious." She lifted the tangled plait of hair over her hair and positioned the dagger. "Do you think I'll look better with short hair?"  
  
Link leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees. "I'm sure it would look good either way."  
  
She frowned. "And here I was, hoping for a straight answer from you." She let her hair fall down and held the blade in her hand casually. "Remember that priestess who passed through on her pilgrimage?"  
  
Link nodded, remembering the pale woman enroute to the south who had left an indelible mark on Hyrule Castle Town with her hair, which was as long as she was tall. Several of the merchants offered to buy her hair at a premium because of its exotic quality and clean silver color. It would make beautiful wigs.   
  
"She was beautiful, wasn't she? All that hair, and people more than eager to buy it off her."  
  
Link frowned. "You're trying to lure me into a trap, aren't you?"  
  
With an innocent smile, Zelda quipped, "Now, why would I do that?"  
  
She laughed at his skeptical stare. Her laugh was infectious, and soon he too began to chuckle.   
However, his laughter ended abruptly and turned into a gasp when he saw her take her hair and, in a single smooth motion, sliced through it with his knife to leave it at such a length that reached no farther than her chin.  
  
He made no effort to hide his shock. As if nothing happened, Zelda pulled a ribbon from the trim of her shift-dress and wrapped it around one end. Then, after unraveling the mismatched braid, she realigned every strand and fashioned a neat and straight one. She tugged a few strands of hair loose and, after braiding them tightly, used them to tie the remaining loose end securely. Then she reached for his hand and placed the thick braid in it.  
  
"There. Next time you leave Hyrule, be sure to take it with you," she said, proudly.  
  
Glancing from the braid to her, he said with a smirk, "You know, in some foreign countries, it's the custom for women to give a lock of their hair to their lovers."  
  
Zelda returned his flirtatious smirk. "That's significantly more than a lock, my dear. Interpret how you will."  
  
The time they had spent working side by side had not only solidified their friendship, but had allowed them to confide in each other at a deeper level unrivaled by any other. He was secretly elated that she dared to hint at deeper feelings, but knew that Zelda had a keen ability of interpreting his reactions. Instead of responding seriously, he chose to continue the jest.   
  
"Why, this is sudden," he retorted with an air of nonchalance. "I would never have guessed."  
  
She tapped the tip of his nose playfully. "You wouldn't."  
  
"Oh, wouldn't I?" Link said teasingly. He caught the hand that tapped his nose and kissed its knuckles. "Even with the Queen's infinite wisdom, does she fathom that I could be merely acting as her puppet, waiting for the perfect moment to strike?"  
  
Surprised, Zelda took a second to consider his words before she began laughing, much to Link's dismay. He could surprise the princess, yet getting her to drop her defenses any lower was a near impossibility.  
  
Between chuckles, Zelda remarked, "Like a cobra in the grass. I always thought of you as a slithery, slimy thing. Also a puppet! I can see you as a puppet."  
  
Sensing the perfect opportunity and proximity, he smirked. "Would a puppet do this?" he whispered mischievously, then pressed his lips against hers in a quick, but rather intense, kiss.  
  
Pulling out of the kiss, Zelda turned her head and pushed him away.  
  
"I say," she mumbled, her face imperceptibly flushed in the dim moonlight. "You can be utterly reprehensible sometimes."   
  
Link shrugged and gave her his best sly grin.  
  
"You do realize that I will be getting you back for that, correct?" she continued, matter-of-factly.  
  
Link leaned back onto his elbows and grinned up at her expectantly. "You bet I do."  
  
"Oh, our dashing hero is eager to experience my vengeance?" She teased, deviously. "Sadly, he must learn patience!"  
  
Zelda returned her head to his lap and grinned absently at his disappointment. She plucked a blade of dry grass and tried to whistle with it, but found it to be just too dry. She cast it aside.  
  
"The grass isn't good enough for a starving cow," Link commented dryly.  
  
Zelda sighed. "This is insane. One spark could set this whole field afire."  
  
Link nodded and was quiet a moment, gazing off to the west. "You know, and I'm probably just hallucinating, but it seems like clouds are gathering in the Western sky." The hopefulness in his voice slowly drained and turned into wry humor. "Then again, perhaps Farore has decided to play a cruel trick on us."  
  
"Don't even laugh about such things!" Zelda murmured. "It truly does look like clouds are forming, but I dare not get my hopes up." She sat up and watched the scene for several minutes, then sighed.   
  
A soft breeze suddenly rustled the dry grasses and danced through Zelda's new short-cropped hair. It felt wonderful on their sweat-dampened necks and faces.   
  
"It just might...."  
  
But Zelda shushed him with a finger. "Don't say it, you'll jinx it!" She scolded, earnestly. Then, glaring at the clouds, she sighed. "I sure hope it will come soon, if it will come at all."  
  
Link smirked. "You must learn patience, milady!"  
  
"Not funny, Li...."  
  
Her eyes suddenly opened wide as a drop of water fell from the sky and struck Link on the top of the head. They stared wide-eyed and breathless at each other, utterly surprised.   
  
Then another drop fell and impacted the grass, splattering Zelda's hand. She gasped. Then another landed on Link's forehead and coursed down along his nose. And another, and another, and then....  
  
Zelda jumped to her feet with a shriek and opened her arms to the sudden downpour, letting cool water course along her overheated skin. She laughed uninhibitedly, spinning about and not caring that the rain soaked her hair and her clothes. The wait was over! Finally, a good soaking rain had come to Hyrule, and with it would come hope for the farmers. The rain fell so hard and so quickly that it was hard to see through it. Still laughing, Zelda threw her head back and let the water coat her face. The kingdom's prayers were answered; they had to be patient no longer.  
  
Zelda felt a wet hand on her shoulder and spun around. It was Link, his hair clinging to his face and hanging in his twinkling eyes.   
  
"Have I had patience enough, yet?" He whispered, smiling.   
  
Zelda didn't answer. Instead she combed his wet hair back with her fingers, pulled his head across the short distance between them, and kissed him as the rain ran in rivulets down their cheeks and noses and muddied the patchy ground beneath their feet. The water mingled with their mouths and joined in the excitement of the moment.   
  
"It pays to have patience, sometimes," she laughed, after breaking off the kiss.   
  
"The best things in life are worth waiting for," he laughed, and kissed her again.   
  
~~~The END~~~  
  
[Our annoyingly omnipresent author walks from behind a far tree with an umbrella.]  
  
TWH: Not much to this story really. Just banter... but I think that's why I like it so much. Sure, smut's ok. Action has its place, but it's words that help build bridges between characters, and no, I didn't steal that from a Hallmark card. My friend and I figured there weren't enough fics where Link and Zelda blather on and at the same time, stay in character. Though, we don't really see either one working on character development much, that's why we authors have such flexibility... and why I love Pradaloz's Zelda so durn much!  
  
I figure the influence from the good people on the LOZFFML is affecting me for the better, and this was the result. Also, a friend of mine, who wishes to remain anonymous, helped a lot on this. So, it pays to have a proofreader/friend that can give it you straight and at the same time, be cool about it. Remember folks, proofreaders are you friends.  
  
A useful link that I figure would be nice and make the Mods of the ML that I subscribe to happy:   
It's here you'll find examples of GOOD Zelda fanfiction, and just remember you found it from a so-so story written by a talentless hack. :p  
  
[The annoyingly omnipresent author resists the urge to reenact 'Singing in the Rain' and runs off, getting his shoes wet in the process.] 


End file.
